I consider myself one to take the road less traveled, and this meandering 7-mile “trail” ride epitomized the truth that not all who wander are lost.
All I knew is that I wanted to get out. By the time I had the horse in the trailer, I still hadn’t even decided which cardinal direction I’d drive. North? Could be. South? Not a bad idea. East? The thought crossed my mind. West? Probably.
Temperatures were rising out at the ranch and it wasn’t getting any cooler. The dog took a quick swim ‘in the pool’ to cool her jets, while I pontificated gratefully that literally any direction we’d go would hold a beautiful and unique adventure.
Got in the truck, turned the key. Foot off the brake.
There is a level of magic that happens when you take action, and for us the path unfurled as we moved forward.
We ended up in a forested, mountainous area with Pinon, elk and steep rock cliffs. No motorized vehicles allowed: my kind of place!
Up and down, up and down, we found 2 elk jawbone sets, 2 live elk cows, a hawk, and a deer. Scaled up steep washes and wound through tight aspen stands.
Like usual, I noticed the elk first; the horse Tracker noticed them next, with Junebug being last to the party — again. But Junebug produces the most EXTREME response to compensate. She chased the elk up the hill yipping and yawing like a wild ‘yote. She had her muzzle on the whole time so wouldn’t be able to mangle any wildlife despite her soul-deep desire.
For the past few months I have wondered whether this horse is ‘directionally challenged’ or just loves to be out in the mountains so much that he refuses to go back towards the trailer.
Honestly it’s a relief to have a horse that doesn’t rush to get back home. If you’ve ever ridden a barn sour horse, you know what a frustration it can be.
But I was also starting to get concerned that if ever in a situation where I lost my bearings and needed to get back to safety, this horse would only get us more lost.
Countless times he’s insisted on going the exact opposite direction of the truck and trailer.
On this ride I finally confirmed my suspicion: he knows exactly where the trailer is… he simply insists on continuing the adventure!
So, as you can see from the map, I indulged him:
We climbed up and down some fun sand washes, traversed steep slopes, and gained expansive vantages.
It was a beautiful day to wander and get lost!
Backcountry Cowgirl 